Know what to do in a fire

Crawl under smoke – during a fire, crawl on your hands and knees, keeping your head 1-2 feet above the floor.

Protect your home with smoke alarms

Install smoke alarms on every floor and outside all sleeping areas.

Test all alarms once a month and replace their batteries once a year. When an alarm ‘chirps’ it means the battery is low and you should replace the batteries immediately.

Tips on how to be FireSmart

Shore lunch and campfires are responsible for wildfires every spring. Residents are reminded that they must tend their fires at all times, making sure to put them dead out before leaving. If it is windy, the risk of a wildfire is high – don’t burn!

Residents planning on burning grass, brush or other wood debris should consider composting or taking material to landfill sites instead. Each spring, grass fires get out of control and cause needless damage to barns, homes and cottages.

Planning to use fireworks this weekend? Under the Forest Fires Prevention Act (FFPA), any person who sets off fireworks is responsible to ensure any hot residue from the discharge of fireworks is extinguished. There may also be municipal by-laws in place regarding the use of fireworks.

Residents are reminded of their responsibilities under the FFPA. All forest fires are investigated to determine the cause, and a person can be held responsible for the costs of extinguishing or property damage incurred by a forest fire.

Residents within organized municipalities should check with local fire departments or municipal offices for any burning restrictions in their area.

Report forest fires in the Northwest Region and the Northeast Region (for areas north of the French and Mattawa Rivers) by dialing 310-FIRE (3473). Southern region forest fires can be reported by calling the local fire department.